Orioles notes: Chris Davis gets his first taste of postseason against former team

He didn't make the postseason cut in 2010 and was traded to the Orioles halfway through 2011.

On Friday, he'll play the first big league postseason game of his career in Arlington, but he'll be on the visitor's side.

"It's good to be back," said Davis, who still lives in Dallas and returned to Rangers Ballpark earlier this season with the Orioles. "I think it helped playing here in August to get all the emotions out, coming back to a place that I was here for a while. After being traded over [to Baltimore], I kind of turned the page. So I'm looking forward to taking these guys on for one game."

Drafted in the fifth round in 2006, Davis was expected to be the Rangers' first baseman of the future when he batted .285 with 17 homers in just 295 at-bats in 2008. But he was shuttled back and forth between the minors and majors in 2009 and 2010, never really establishing himself.

So, in the heat of a pennant race, the Rangers dealt Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles last July for reliever Koji Uehara.

"We always thought Chris Davis had potential," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "Just at the time, he was still trying to find himself and we were in a position where we were moving forward. The circumstances at the time didn't dictate that he was a viable piece here."

Davis has received consistent at-bats with the Orioles this year — getting the opportunity to play through his cold streaks — and he responded with a team-high 33 homers, including longballs in six consecutive games this week.

"I think I kind of wore out my welcome in Texas, so to speak. I was doing everything I could to hang on, but once those guys signed [Adrian]Beltre and Mike Napoli, I kind of saw the writing on the wall," Davis said. "I have no hard feelings. I'm very appreciative of the fact they gave me a chance to go play somewhere else. Things could have worked out differently. But I'm happy [with the Orioles]."

Orioles first baseman Mark Reynolds said it will take more than a painful left foot to keep him from playing in Friday's American League wild-card playoff.

Reynolds fouled a ball off a bone in his left big toe during the fifth inning of the Orioles' 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Wednesday's regular season finale, but he remained in the game. X-rays were negative and he expects to play Friday.

"No problem once you get under the lights and get a little adrenaline flowing," Reynolds said. "We know how important this game is and I'm sure all the pain will go away."

Reynolds limped around the visiting clubhouse Thursday with his foot wrapped. He landed on the disabled list with an oblique straight in May, but has played through biceps and hand injuries that were caused by being hit by pitches.

"This is nothing," Reynolds said, comparing this injury to others, "especially this time of year, [with] so much on the line."

Reynolds joked that he wasn't worried about the foot hampering his stolen-base attempts (he's 1 of 4 this season). And he added that he wouldn't be taking any pain-killers for it.

"I'll just tape it up and go," he said. "Just like the old days."

Around the horn

Orioles manager Buck Showalter brought six extra players to Texas beyond the 25-man roster, which he has to set by 10 a.m. Friday. Because he does not need to keep the same roster for the potential next round, Showalter likely will leave starting pitchers such as Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez off the wild-card roster and stack it with relievers. … Four players were left in Florida when the team headed to Texas: pitchers Dylan Bundy and Zach Phillips, catcher Luis Exposito and outfielder Bill Hall. … Outfielder Steve Pearce also did not make the trip to Texas. He was not eligible for the postseason roster becauses he was acquired after Sept. 1. … No current Oriole has faced rookie right-hander Yu Darvish, Texas' starter on Friday. Darvish, the 26-year-old Japanese phenom, is 10-3 with a 3.16 ERA the first time he faces a new opponent.